Rethinking Faith

This week I was joined by philosopher Todd May, advisor to The Good Place. Discover why embracing mortality enriches life, how immortality might erode meaning, and why love thrives on vulnerability. Explore the ethics of human extinction, divine compassion, and the myth of eternal life. Perfect for thinkers and skeptics, this episode challenges assumptions and invites you to find meaning within our finite existence. Hit play and (re)think what it means to live well in a fragile world. Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

Death: The Art of Living

A Fragile Life: Accepting Our Vulnerability

Should We Go Extinct? A Philosophical Dilemma For Our Unbearable Times

A Significant Life: Human Meaning in a Silent Universe

Gilles Deleuze: An Introduction

THEOLOGY BEER CAMP:

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*A special thanks to Marty Fredrick, Josh Gilbert, and Dan Koch. Love you guys <3*

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This week, my good friend Dr. Taylor Thomas returns to the podcast. We decided to have a very honest conversation about meaninglessness and the weight of existence. It’s easy to feel lost in today’s world, but there’s power in acknowledging our struggles. Dr. Thomas brings his unique perspective, drawing from theology and philosophy, to explore how we can find purpose amidst the chaos. From Kierkegaard to Nietzsche... from Sartre to Camus, what do the existentialists have to teach us today about our ethics and political engagements in a world on fire? Enjoy!

THEOLOGY BEER CAMP 2026:

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*Special thanks to Marty Fredrick, Josh Gilbert, and Dan Koch. Love you guys <3*

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This week I was happy to have my good friend and friend of the podcast Dr. Thomas Jay Oord join me once again. Tom recently released volume 1 of his Systematic Theology of Love. We take a deep dive into the volume and get kind of nerdy doing it... Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

A Systematic Theology of Love: Volume 1 - God and Creation

ORTCon 26

THEOLOGY BEER CAMP 2026:

Time to nerd out with your geek out! Get your ticket(s) HERE.

*A special thanks to Josh Gilbert, Marty Fredrick, and Dan Koch. Love you guys <3*

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This week, I had the privilege of hanging out with Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein! In this conversation, Chanda shares her journey into physics, the intersection of science and gender studies, the queerness of the universe, and the importance of metaphor and storytelling in understanding complex scientific concepts. She discusses her books, the role of curiosity, and how physics can be a tool for liberation and democratic engagement. Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie

The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, & Dreams Deffered

THEOLOGY BEER CAMP 2026:

Get your tickets for camp HERE.

*Special thanks to Marty Fredrick, Josh Gilbert, and Dan Koch! Love you guys <3*

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This is an audio essay originally published on my Substack.

This essay explores the possibility of joining the Existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre and the Process Philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. The essay imagines a theology that embraces radical freedom, divine persuasion, and cosmic creativity. It offers a fresh perspective on God, human self-determination, and the nature of authentic existence. Enjoy!

(Re)thinking Faith Substack:

Subscribe to my Substack HERE.

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This week I had the privilege of being joined by Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez to discuss his forthcoming book, "Conversion Therapy Dropout: A Quee Story of Faith & Belonging". I was also joined by a special co-host for this conversation, Dr. Learh Robinson.

Tim shares his powerful journey through conversion therapy, his experiences within the church, and his path to self-acceptance and healing. The conversation explores the harm caused by conversion practices, the importance of community, and the hope for a more inclusive church. Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

Tim's Book: Conversion Therapy Dropout

Church Clarity

Exodus International Closure Announcement

Trevor Project Research on Conversion Therapy

Tim's Book Tour Info

THEOLOGY BEER CAMP 2026:

Come hang out at my favorite event of the year! Get your tickets HERE.

*Special thanks to Marty Fredrick, Josh Gilbert, and Dan Koch! Love you guys <3*

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Most modern debates about faith overlook a profound reality: the divine might be better understood as a dynamic process rather than a static entity. In this mind-expanding conversation, Dr. Brook Ziporyn reveals how mystical atheism, rooted in Chinese philosophy and critical reinterpretations of traditional concepts, offers a transformative lens for spirituality beyond the limits of classical theism. If you're questioning the nature of God, purpose, and meaning—whether religious or secular—this episode challenges the assumptions that keep us trapped in dichotomies of finite and infinite, purpose and purposelessness.

Join host Josh Patterson as he untangles the philosophical web connecting Spinoza, Nietzsche, Bataille, and Taoist thought, exploring how their ideas unlock new ways to perceive divinity without needing a personal, intentional God. You'll discover how this perspective emphasizes the fluid, oceanic interconnectedness of all things—where every moment, object, and experience is part of a vast, non-dichotomous flow. We break down the core concepts like the oceanic unity, the critique of purpose, and the role of mystical experience in dissolving rigid categories, paving the way for a richer, more inclusive spirituality.This episode is perfect for skeptics craving depth, seekers longing for a meaningful connection, and thinkers willing to challenge the very foundations of faith and atheism alike. If you're tired of binary thinking—either believing in a traditional God or rejecting all notions of the divine—you'll walk away with a new vocabulary: from the oceanic to the omnicentric—tools to reimagine the sacred as a fluid, generative process embracing ambiguity and multiplicity. Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

Brook Ziporyn

Experiments in Mystical Atheism (Book)

THEOLOGY BEER CAMP 2026:

Time to nerd out with your geek out! Get your ticket(s) HERE.

*A special thanks to Josh Gilbert, Marty Fredrick, and Dan Koch. Love you guys <3*

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In this episode of the Rethinking Faith Podcast, host Josh Patterson engages with Dr. Jennifer Garcia-Bashaw and Dr. Aaron Higashi about their co-authored book, 'Serving Up Scripture: How to Interpret the Bible for Yourself and Others.' The conversation explores the importance of understanding biblical interpretation through various lenses, including the cooking metaphor, the significance of context, and the role of biases. They discuss the multi-vocality of the Bible, the authority it holds, and the necessity of recognizing different genres within scripture. The episode emphasizes the need for responsible interpretation and the value of engaging with scripture in a way that respects its complexity and richness. Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

Serving Up Scripture (Book)

THEOLOGY BEER CAMP 2026:

Time to nerd out with your geek out! Snag your ticket(s) HERE.

*Special thanks to Josh Gilbert, Marty Fredrick, and Dan Koch. Love you guys <3*

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This week I was joined by Dr. Jon Ivan Gill to discuss his latest book, "MultiRaceLessNess: A Process Philosophy". What might a Process Philosophy of Race look like? While it has become widely accepted that race is a social construct, Gill argues that this insight doesn't go far enough. If race isn't "real" in any essential sense, why do we continue to organize our selves, and our world around it?

Jon pushes the conversation looking into the possibility of abolishing the category of race all together. Together we wrestle with the philosophical, theological, and ethical implications of us a proposal. What would it actually mean to dissolve race as a category of human identity? Would doing so heal or erase? Liberate or disorient? Is it even possible to end racism without first letting go of the category of race itself?

Without offering easy answers, this conversation invites listeners into a bold and necessary interrogation of the categories we have inherited and challenges us to imagine what might lie on the other side of them. Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

SevenIvan.com (Jon's Website)

MultiRaceLessNess: A Process Philosophy (Book)

THEOLOGY BEER CAMP:

Come nerd out with your geek out! Get your ticket(s) HERE.

*A special thanks to Josh Gilbert, Marty Fredrick, and Dan Koch. Love you guys <3*

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This is another audio essay that can be found on my Substack.

Recently I had an idea… a very Emogelical idea. What if I attempted to read “Unanswered” by Suicide Silence as a Radical Prayer? Don’t get me wrong, I’m under no impression that Mitch Lucker intended the kind of reading that I offer. However, the crazy thing about language and texts and meaning is that they often do something to you that the author never intended…

So what happens when “Unanswered” is filtered through the Radical Theology lens of Jack Caputo with the help of Nietzsche, Camus, and Kierkegaard? You get a Radical prayer that is deeply honest, and deeply human. Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

Subscribe to my Substack HERE! It's FREE.

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